We arrived at OKW about 6 PM. As I walked up to the door, Jimmy Buffet was playing! There was no one in the lobby at all so I walked right up, did all our paperwork, and received a message that our Owners Locker was waiting for us at Bell Services. The CM's at OKW have to be some of the nicest and friendliest in all of WDW.

While DH & DM corralled the kids, I went to Bell Services to get our OL and our gift from the Nono's....a case of Landshark! (Perfect Beer for OKW) The CM found the OL right away, the beer was not so simple. The Nono's checked out about 2 weeks prior and left it for us. She did find a case of Miller, a case of Michelob and some other beers laying around....makes you wonder LOL Finally we saw it up on the highest shelf, in the back. Another CM came in and was able to climb up and get it. He told me he was actually surprised that we really came to claim it and that it was still there since all the CM's have been staring at it for all that time. (Which is why it was moved to a "safer" spot LOL)

Our 2BR Villa was in the South Point area, 1st floor, looking right out into the river and woods. We all were surprised by how large the 2BR is at OKW! We've stayed in 2BR's before at other DVC resorts and we've heard that OKW is larger, but seeing it in person was still mind blowing. We could actually live there! Matter of fact, it was larger than my parents condo in Orlando (also a 2 BR, 2 Bath). I immediately fell in love with the place.

The only draw back I found about OKW was that it was so big. If we wanted to go to the main pool of Hospitality House, we had to drive there. We never did figure out the internal buses but the buses in general seem to come frequently. If it wasn't for having to rely on the rental car, I think OKW would be my fave DVC resort! Right now it is a close second to our home resort BCV.

After checking out the room, we headed to Olivia's for dinner. There was very little wait and the food was great....as was the beverage from the Suitcase! We went to the store to pick up some juice, water, sodas, snacks and breakfast stuff. (Usually we do a grocery stop but since this was a short trip, we only needed basics) After that we headed back to the room, popped open some Landsharks, put in a Raiders of the Lost Ark DVD and relaxed for the night.
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We all got up early, except for DH! Today was our MK day so once Daddy finally got up, we headed out to the bus stop. As soon as we walked out the door, we were HOT. It felt like 100 degrees....brutal hot! We got to the bus stop and had a very short wait for the MK bus. Everyone was already feeling the heat.

DD on the bus TO the MK...hot already!

After we finally got to the MK, we headed to Guest Services to get the kids' AP's. We had no problem getting the DVC discount for their passes (DH & I had ours from December), got our DDE card and we were even able to pick up our tickets for MNSSHP in October. Since we used the DVC discount, we needed to pick them up in person at "Will Call" to prove we were DVC members.

We heading into Main Street and the kids decided to throw a wrench into our usual touring plans and wanted to ride the train to Frontierland! Wasn't too happy about it but we did it and it worked out ok. This was not going to be a commando trip for us. We walked onto Splash Mtn, DS then went on again with his Grammy and then BTMRR. DD and I talked with one of the Million Dream CM's for about 20 minutes while waiting for everyone to come off BTMRR. Of course, he had to leave and then award someone something....SIGH! By then DD was getting cranky since she is still too small for the big rides but wants to go on them so we headed to Tom Sawyer Isle for a while.
Had lunch at Pecos Bills and headed for the Haunted Mansion...my fave! Went on some Fantasyland rides, did Goofy Barnstormer, rode Buzz & then the Wedway...peoplemover, TTA whatever it's called After that we were done! It was about 3 PM and the parade was startiing and Tomorrowland was actually getting more crowded, so we headed out.

We got to the bus stop for OKW and waited, and waited, and waited....for about 45 minutes before a bus actually stopped to take us back to the resort! We saw many many buses go by and they were lining up for the after parade crowds but while we waited, very very few came for any of the resorts. It wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't 100 degrees out in the shade! People were not happy at this point.

Anyway, we got back to the resort, after a short rest, DH took the kids to the main pool for a few hours. They bought dinner back with them from Goods to Go and we relaxed in the room again.
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Everyone got up extra early today! DS got his Anakin costume on, DD her SW dress and we were off to MGM (ok Hollywood Studios) Again, it was 8AM and already boiling hot! We were early but not as early as previous years. We did get to see some of the Stormtroopers at the entrance, which I love. Inside, we still had to wait by the ropes. While we waited we got DD's annual photo next to "her crate" which the changed to a much bigger one. As we all waited in the sun and heat, one Jedi couldn't take it anymore and got sick all over. Poor kid! He waited so long and then had to leave.

Once the rope dropped, everyone was off and running. Fortunately, we're not big autograph fans, so we avoided those lines. DS ran for the Padawan Mind Challenge sign up. While waiting on line,he recognized his "SW friend" from 2 years ago! They hit if off right away and were really excited to see each other. She was dressed as Padame to his Anakin, so it made for a cute photo. I did have to remind DS of her father's screen name (Dark Lord of the Sith, or Colin) to make sure he stayed in line

We then headed over to the Jedi Training academy. I met up with some friends from the Studioscentral.com message boards while we waited. Thankfully DS was picked in the first show! I didn't want to have to keep returning all day until he was picked He fought Darth Vader bravely....again...you would think Vader would recognize him by now After the training, he received a toy prize and certificate.

We then went on Star Tours, spent forever in Tatooine Traders, and a small fortune. Then we headed outside. DD was getting ansty again so Grammy took her to see Little Mermaid & Playhouse Disney while Dh and I took DS to wait for the trivia to start by Sounds Dangerous. While waiting there, they were picking kids for the parade too. BUT the kids were not allowed to do both the trivia & the parade, it was one or the other. DS decided to stay with the trivia. This was a great place to be if you wanted to see characters. They go in and out of the doors there, they can't stop and sign autographs or pose for photos (although many did stop to let people take quick pictures of them) but in the few minutes we were there we saw many of the Jedi Council.

Finally time for the Mind Challenge! DS was really excited and made it to the final 2....3 if you count the cute little girl who wouldn't leave the stage LOL, and won the contest. Finally talked DS into changing out of his costume since it was so hot....this was the first year he actually agreed to do so! We then met up with DD and DM and went on the GMR.

After that, we headed to Mama Melroses for lunch with a group from the Studioscentral board. We had a great time! My mother even kept raving about how nice everyone was even though she was an "outsider". She really enjoyed herself. The food was great but the best part was watching DS and "Padame" talk non-stop throughout the whole time. Since Matt from studioscentral has been teasing Colin and me about our kids for over a year now, it was really funny when she remarked how romantic the restaurant was to DS and the Lady & the Tramp song came on!

Wickets Warehouse was next! Spent more money, of course! and then headed back to OKW. We intended on coming back but never made it. Instead, DH took the kids to the pool and I headed to DTD for some shopping. The place was a mad house so I hit about 4 places and headed back...after picking up some McDonalds for my dinner....which was met with wide mouths by DH and the kids! It was just a salad but their expressions were priceless since I rarely let them eat McD's when we are down in Disney.

We had some more landsharks, ice cream for the kiddies and relaxed on the balcony.....I love that huge balcony!!!!
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Great report so far Kim. It was a lot of fun meeting your family and having a meal at Mama Melrose with them. Your son and Colin's daughter were so funny together and I was glad they were still friends after 2 years.

Thanks for the update! My kids and I were at SWW on Friday and Sunday of that same weekend - so we missed you on either side by a day! Too bad I didn't think to join this forum BEFORE my trip, to try and catch up with a few folks from this board.

I know what you mean about the heat - we live in the Charlotte area and the ironic part is they had a heat wave (100+ degrees) the entire time we were in Florida. So I guess we stayed cool relative to home.

My two kids (daughter age 10 and son age 6) both spent over $400 each on Star Wars souvenirs. They wanted to spend more, but they ran out of money, which they have saved up from various sources for the last 6 months. My son wanted to borrow from the Bank of Dad!

Everyone decided to just lounge around all morning so by the time we got ready to do anything it was about 11 AM. We intended to go to AK, but the dreaded heat already kicked in, and the crowds would probably be at their peak by the time we got there. Plus we had a big night ahead of us!

So we went to Fantasia Gardens for some mini-golf. This was DD's first time ever playing mini-golf and she did pretty well. We all had a good time but as we were leaving DS stayed to feel the effects of the heat. He was feeling pretty bad but after a short break for him we got him into the a/c'd car and headed back to the resort.

We took a break in the room then we all spent the afternoon at the main pool and had some lunch from Goods To Go. After a while, DS headed to the arcade until we could drag DD out of the pool. It was time to get ready for dinner!

That night we had reservations for the private SWW dinner hosted by Matt at Studioscentral.com. We headed over to MGM, met up with everyone and were ushered into the Prop Room. This was a really fun place for dinner. There are lots of props from the parks, including my fave of a big Simba sleeping with a stuffed Mickey. DS immediately found his friend and they hung out together most of the time after we ate. Dinner was delicious and the chocolate dessert table was a big hit! But the real highlights were the trivia contests!

First up, the kids. They were all doing excellent. These kids knew their Star Wars! After several questions, a few peeks for answers, and 2 four yr olds who didn't want to give up, DS was the winner! He was thrilled beyond belief! He received some awesome prizes... a great lightsaber that he had been begging for (turns different colors, sounds), a red lightsaber and a blow up SW chair. All the children received SW goody bags for participating.

Sean with his prizes!

The adults were up next. Dh went up, pretty confident with himself, especially since the Dark Lord was not in the contest but just reading the questions. DS and his friend were watching from behind and answering all the adult questions too. These were some pretty obscure questions. Alas DH was knocked out by what I thought was an easy one...easy because I actually knew the answer! It was a tough competition though and fun to watch.

After that everyone hung around for a while talking and looking at all the stuff in the room. DS wanted to give his blow-up chair prize to his friend to share so we told him to go right ahead. (So sweet!) DS had a few lightsaber battles and DD was getting cranky.

I knew I was in trouble when DS and his friend came over to tell me that it was EMH at the MK that night and they started begging us if DS could go. They wanted to ride Space Mtn together. So DH bravely took DD and headed back to the room (did I mention she was cranky?) and I stayed behind with DS, Mr & Mrs Sith and Padame for a night at the MK. While waiting to leave, DF mentioned to DS that she had a boyfriend back home. Not to be outdone, he told her he had a girlfriend too. DF told him her BF's name and asked about his GF. His answer..." Her name is ...ummmm.....MOM what's her name again????" Real smooth!

On the way out of MGM, we ran into DH & DD at one of the stores.....DH finally broke down and purchased the princess hat she had been asking for since Day 1.

Since the Sith family had their rental car, we drove over to the MK and took the monorail over. DS, DF, Mrs Sith and myself were able to ride in the front. The kids were really excited and they talked non-stop the whole trip.

Our timing was a little off since we arrived right during Spectro Magic. Big crowds! We headed over towards Splash Mtn and kept getting caught up in the mess of people. The kids kept talking...and talking....and talking... Finally at Splash, we had a short wait then the kids got to ride together in the front seat. I'm sure by now you can imagine....they talked the whole time. It was actually getting really funny. They never stopped talking!

After Splash we headed to BTMRR. This is one of those times I wish I had the camera! (Since we weren't planning to go out after dinner, I had no camera, no phone etc, just the lanyard with our AP's in them around my neck. Dh had everything in his pockets) We had a little bit of a wait but when we got up to the CM and told him we had 5 people, he told us to go 3 & 2 people. Mrs Sith & I sat together behind Mr Sith, his DD and my DS. I know Matt would have had a field day with that photo! Mr Sith was not allowed to say anything. LOL

We headed to Haunted Mansion, the kids had their own Doombuggy....and talked through the whole ride again. Then it was off to Space Mtn. The kids went on with Mr Sith while the moms took a break. These 2 were like the Energizer Bunnies! They kept going & going.... A ride on the TTA, (peoplemover, wedway, whatever!) helped calm them down a little bit. Another ride on Space Mtn, this time I went too and then they started to fade a bit.

It was time to start heading out. This was our last night, we still had to pack and check out the next day. Both the kids started to crash big time.....and I don't think they were the only ones. The Siths were really nice and drove us back to OKW which was great especially since I don't think I could have carried DS from the bus stop to our building if he fell asleep We really enjoyed ourselves & I don't want to ruin the Sith's reputation, but they are the nicest, friendliest and fun people! It was time to say goodbye....atleast until the next SWW's (hopefully!)

That was a great report Kim. I really wish I had gone to MK to witness all of this because it sounds like it was just priceless moments between Sean and Ally.

It sounds like we all had a fantastic time that weekend and when Monday rolled around and I knew you all had headed back, it seemed really sad without the whole crew there. I can safely say the subsequent weekends have not been nearly as fun.

By the way, I love the photo of Sean winning all of the prizes...you can't even see his face!

Figaro you are far to kind. We had a blast with you and your DS that night. At the end of the night after we dropped you two off, mine fell asleep in the back of the car. We hadn't even made the Old Key West Gate. You all were wonderful and I can only hope that we get the chance to do it again someday.... once we lay out the details on proper adult supervision of the children of course.

I'm giving myself a deadline of this weekend for my trip report, but have to say this is a pretty accurate account. I may have a few things to add. :wink:

Matt, believe me, we felt the same way about Monday. All of that excitement and good people over the weekend, only to get snapped back into reality. BLAH!

.....
The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be ...unnatural.